CALLS are growing for the state government to publicly release a report that reveals more than half a year's worth of water was "unaccounted" for.
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The 2018/19 water balance report shows more than 6000 megalitres was unaccounted for, with Water NSW pointing the finger at transmission losses.
The past decade's worth of Peel Valley water balance reports are available online, however the most recent one is not.
An internal Water NSW email seen by the Leader questions "if the Peel water balance was deliberately not uploaded" to the agency's website or if it was an "oversight".
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Peel Valley Water Users' Association committee member Ildu Monticone said irrigators were "naturally interested in the report".
"We, like everyone else, are interested in seeing what the figures are," Mr Monticone said.
Tamworth mayor Col Murray believes transmission losses are responsible for the bulk of the unaccounted for water, however would like to see Water NSW release the report.
"I think they should release it, if there's a problem let's have a look and see if needs addition attention," he said.
"It's not productive to be sitting on it if anything is unclear."
Tamworth councillor Mark Rodda has also called for the report to be released.
Tamworth irrigator Ian Coxhead said everything Water NSW does should be open to the public.
"Thing shouldn't be hidden, they must be out for public scrutiny," Mr Coxhead said.
"That said, everybody I talk to about water losses, they know that water is gone and it's not coming back.
"That's an argument we need to have down the track, but at the moment the pressing matter is what happens between now and when Chaffey Dam potentially runs out.
"The lost water is important, but let's not let it take away from what is in front of us. We need to think about what our next step is."
Tamworth councillor Russell Webb agrees the focus should be on the "immediate threat".
"We can worry about things from the past when the dam has water in it again, and we're not under the pump to keep the city alive," Cr Webb said.
"Once things have come good, that's the time to open up the conversation."